Prince Harry will be named an Aviation Legend alongside Apollo 11 hero Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong at a ceremony hosted by John Travolta in Beverly Hills. And many people were outraged by this decision.
It was revealed that John Travolta was the “driving force” behind Prince Harry being called the “Living Legend of Aviation”. The actor reportedly “always felt a connection with the Duke ever since he danced with Diana at the White House.” So we can say that Harry received an undeserved title “through connections”, in the opinion of many. The Daily Mail writes about this.
It was Travolta who insisted that Prince Harry be honored at tomorrow’s event during the selection process from among the current honorees and committee members.
Princess Diana and John Travolta danced together at a White House dinner in 1985, in an iconic moment said to be the highlight of the Hollywood actor’s life.
A source connected to the event said Travolta, who received the Living Legends of Aviation award in 2007, believes Diana’s sons are continuing her legacy of philanthropic work.
“Harry’s name was put forward because of his incredible determination to help those in the military and raise awareness of the triumphs and challenges of this life,” the source said.
The insider also described Prince Harry as an extraordinary philanthropist and said it was a shameful and insulting assumption that this was put forward as a publicity stunt.
“Of course, John was a supporter of Harry and supported his candidacy. He always felt a connection with him, especially because he and Diana enjoyed this moment in pop culture history: dancing in the White House.” Travolta supports Harry being named the “Living Legend of Aviation” but many people don’t like it.
A military veteran has described the Duke of Sussex’s award as a “pathetic” publicity stunt.
Veterans believe that although Harry flew a military helicopter in Afghanistan, that certainly does not make him a legend.
Colorado-based Kiddie Hawk Air Academy, the organization behind Harry’s title, is a non-profit organization dedicated to encouraging interest in aviation among youth.
Harry will be hailed as the “Living Legend of Aviation” at an awards ceremony hosted by John Travolta in Beverly Hills, California, on Friday. The Duke’s work in establishing the Invictus Games Fund will also be recognised. It is unclear whether Harry or his wife Meghan will attend the awards.
Retired army officer Colonel Richard Kemp said Harry was a “brave man” and that his service in Afghanistan was “undoubtedly very dangerous”. But he also noted that there were “helicopter pilots who did even more extraordinary things in Iraq and Afghanistan, risking their lives to save their fellow soldiers.”
Harry served two tours of duty to Afghanistan as a forward air controller and Apache helicopter co-pilot. He served in the army for ten years and rose to the rank of captain.
Reacting to Harry’s praise, Lord West, the former head of the Royal Navy, said: “He is not a living aviation legend. It is pathetic to suggest that he is. If they want to cast someone like Prince Harry it will all look like nonsense.” “He didn’t perform any extraordinary feats or demonstrate any incredible flying skills during his time in the military. They’re just trying to get publicity. They know it will create a stir.”
Let’s remember that in his memoirs, Prince Harry said that he killed 25 Taliban militants in Afghanistan and that he saw them not as “human beings” but as “chess pieces removed from the board.” After this the Taliban called him a “talking loser”.
Source: Focus
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